Charging and discharging device



J. A, ANDERSON.

CHARGING AND DISCHARGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 00112091919.

1,408,430. Patented Mar- 7, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

Smnwtoz Q (IA .Andersan J. A. ANDERSON.

CHARGING AND DISCHARGING DEVICE.

APPLICATiON FILED 00120; I919.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A w z A l. w

I JAAndezzson awmwtoz J. A. ANDERSON.

7 awwmtoz J.A.Ande 212 Wow;

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

SHEETS-SHEET 3.

pairs!) STATES? JAMES A. ANDERSON,

PATENT "OFFICE.-

or ORGANQU JAH.

cnaneme AND nrscnnneme nnyron.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, James A. ANDEnsoN,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of ll iorgan, Utah, have invented} certain new and useful Improvements in Charging and Discharging Devices "for Sterilizers, of which the following is a specification Thefinvention is specifically directed to the means for supplying filled and sealed cans to a sterilizing apparatus, and to similar means for withdrawing orwdischarging the sealed cans after their contents have been sterilized by suitable means as described and claimed in a co-pending application for Patent No. 256,709, filed Oct. a, 1918. V

' The charging and discharging devices of the present invention are particularly adapted in apparatus employed in pressure cooking or sterilizing for canned goods, and by the utilization of the present invention any loss of steam from the sterilizer due to charging and discharging, is substantially eliminated, and consequently an economy in heat is secured. I

'liy the utilization ofmy invention I improve the construction of that type of machines in-whichthe food, or other material, is to be sterilized, in cans, and the cans are fed to and discharged from the sterilizing chamber by rotary members containing pockets to receive the cans, by providing a water seal for such rotary members having novel characteristics, and by providing improved and positive devices for feeding the cans to and vtrom such rotary devices.

In the zuzcompanying drawings one com plete example oi? the physical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in connection with a sterilizing machine, the parts being combined and arranged in the charging and discharging devices, according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention.

Figure l; is a front end elevation of a sterilizing machine showing the charging and discharging devices oi? my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the front end of themachinc Sl10\ in in Figured.

Figure 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View at one end of the sterilizing machine illustrating the applicability of the charg charging-cams Specification of Letters Eatent. i Patented Mal .7,"1922. Applicationfiled October 20, i

1919. Serial No. 332,100.

Figure d is an enlarged vertical sectional View ofthecharging or intake device, show-- ders and its honsingin "the plane of the axes of the cylinder.

Figure 61s a detail View ofthe can springs, in the charging device.

Figure? is a detail of one of the dis and certain related parts.

a detail of one. of the feed check Figure 8 is cams. 1

Figure 9flisa detail of one of the feed devices viewed from the end of its shaft.

Figure 10 is a side view of the cam' of Figure 9; i V

F gure 11 s a side vlewpartly in section of one end otoneof thecan cylinders.

F1gure12is a detall of one of the can cylinders 111 transverse sections, showingthe can pockets and the recesses. to receive the ejectors. I

Figure 13 is a detail of one of the can e ectors.

In order that the invention may be better understood I have illustrated in the drawings a substantially cylindrical shelllform- .ing part of a sterilizer for goods ineans,

to which the charging and discharging de .vices are connected, and this shell is de- 2-towhich is bolted a head or front plate 3 fashioned with a pair ofopeningsei and 5,

the former, upperopening being the intake,

and the latter, lower opening being the outlet openingof the sterilizer. Adjacent the openings 5 and '6 1s provided asecuring flange 6 for the connection of the feed and discharge devices carried by housings 7 and 8 respectively. The housing .8 is connected to the lower flange?) by means of a. flange 9 on thehouslng, and the'housing 7 is connected to the upper .fiange 6 by an'intermediate hollow spacer '10. The'housing 7 with its cylinder and associated parts are referred to as vtheintake or feed mechanism in thesense that these parts are for introducing the cans into the sterilizer or casing 1, and similarly with the liousing-8 and its cylinderand other parts is for discharging the cans from the retort or sterilizing. chamber of the machine; but for each of the can cylinders there is also provided meansfor feeding the cans to the cylinder and discharging them from it.

"Within the shell or sterilizing chamber is arranged a group of conveyor units indicated 11, 12, 13, and 14, 15, and 16, each consisting of an endless articulated belt, and

the belts whichare arranged. one above another, are .of substantially the same construction except the top one which is extended through the feed opening 4 ofthe head, and through the spacer 10 into the inner chamber 17 of the housing 7.

The conveyor is adapted to receive cans in rows of a suitable number, sayten cans in each row, and the conveyor and all of the can handling devices are arranged to handle the cans in: rows of the statednumber, receiving them fromthe intake and discharging them at the outlet of the sterilizer, after the contents of the cans have been sterilized or cooked. -.From the intake-device to the outlet for the cans, they are con veyed first backward by the upper ;-unit of i the conveyer, then forward, and these move ments are repeateduntil the cans are delivered at the front of themachine' to be,

discharged from the retort by the discharge mechanism. 7

The feed and discharge mechanismscar ried by housings 7 and 8 diifer somewhat in detail,but are similar in principle,- sothat the feed mechanism willfirst'be described and thenthe differences in the discharge mechanism will be pointed out. I

The housing 7 has an upper outer chamber 24 111 which cans are to be placed in rows by anysuitable supply machine, not shown,

and centrally of the housing is located the feed cylinder 25 which is machined to have a close running-fit in the walls of the housing,

with: a poi-s26 leading from the outer chamber 24 to the cylinder, and an additional. port -27 leads from the cylinder to the inner chant ber 17. There are two longitudinal pockets 28 in the cylinder, diametrically arranged, and extending the length of the cylinder to receive a row of cans, and each pocket is provided with a can discharge'device or ejector designated as a whole by the numeral 7 29. \Vhen the cylinder pockets are opposite the port 26, and during the travel of each pocket from that port until it is opposite to the port 27,- the ejector lies under the can at the bottom of the pocket. When the pockets are opposite the inner port 27, the

ejectoris thrown out as shown in Figure 3 to positively eject the cans. In the further travel of the cylinder from the port 27 back to port 26, the ejector is returned to the bottom of the pockets ready. for the re ception of another row of cans; Located within the outer chamber .24 is a positively may be removed if worn.

acting can feeding device, designated as a whole by the numeral 30, and before each row of cans is placed inthe outer chamber this feed device is retracted, permitting the cans to fall against the row of check springs 31. Vvhen a cylinder pocket is opposite the port 26 the feed device is advanced to the position shown in Fig. 3, forcing the row of cans past the check springs and positivel into the pocket,and the feed device is then retracted ready to receive another row of cans.

The check springs are shown in detail in Figure 6 and comprise a row of strips ofspring metal 31, bent to proper shape and secured in the housing by screws 32,- adjacent the port 26. The positive feed device comprises a plurality of arms 33 (Figsp9 and 10), each having a hub 34 and an arcshaped head 35, which may be covered with a strip 36 of rubber composition or other material to protect the cams. A row. of these members is mounted at suitable intervals on shaft 37 and secured by keying, and the shaft has bearings near its ends in the housing, and at least one end of the shaft extends outside'of the housing, as seen in Figure 1. Outside the housing the shaft 37 is provided with an arm 38, hearing a cam follower 33;

which engages the cam groove 40 of the feed cam '41. The cam 41 is carried on a shaft 42 which is in efi'ectthe shaft of cylinder 25 and revolves with it, although for structural reasonsthe shaft will usually be a separate piece from the cylinder. is shapedto give two oscillations of the feed shaft 37 for each' rotation of the cylinder, and the movement of the heads 35 toward the pockets, of course, is timed to occur just as the pockets approach alinement with the port 26. i The check springstherefore hold the cans away fromcontact with the surface of thecylinder until the pockets are in' position to receive the-cans and then the feed device [positively forcesthe cans past the springs and into the pockets. Since the surface of the cylinder should have a polish The cam to insure a proper running fit, this device end of the cylinder the ejector shafts 44pmject somewhat beyond the end of the cylin dcr proper, and are there providedwith arms 48 carrying cam followers 49 which engage in the cam groove 50 of the discharge cam;

51, which is a disk fixed in the housing and screwed to the head 52 in Fig. 5. Since Preferably at one there are two ejecting elements for each cylinder, the discharge cam is designed to give a single oscillating movement for each ejector for each rotation of the drum, and is arranged so that the strip 47 is thrown away from the center of the drum or cylinder when the pockets 28 are opposite the port 27. The cans are thus positively forced out of the pockets, and immediately onto the adjacent end of the upper conveyer unit. It is possible and preferably in some cases, although not necessary, to provide a discharge cam and cam arms on the ejector shafts at both ends of the cylinder.

At one end of the cylinder, and preferably at the end remote from feed cams 41 is provided a shaft 53 operatively integral with the cylinder and extending outside the casing, and this shaft carries a gear 54. A yoke 55 secured to one end of the housing provides a bearing for the main drive shaft 56 on which is the main drive pinion 57 engaging both gear 54 and agear 58 secured to conveyer shaft 59. Thus from the main pinion 57 the cylinder 25 is driven, and all of the conveyer driving shafts are driven in unison in the proper relation by the train of gears 60 and sprocket transmission 61.

The discharge housing 8 has an inner chamber 62 communicating with the interior of the shell 1 of the sterilizer, and guides 63 are provided to lead cans the short distance from the discharge end of the lower conveyer to the chamber 62. A positive charging device 64 is located in the chamber 62 substantially similar to the one described in connection with the feed cylinder 25, but in this case the charging device 64 is located inwardly of the cylinder, since cans here require to be positively fed away from the interior of the shell and into the cylinder pockets. The dischar e cylinder 65 is sub stantially identical with cylinder 25, and has can pockets 66 and positive ejecting devices 67, constructed and operated substantially like the similar devices already described.

Outwardly from the cylinder 65 the housing has a short discharge passage 68 leading to downwardly directed passage 69 of the trough like member 70 which is bolted to housing 8 by means of flanges 71. The up wardly directed portion 72 of the trough 70 receives at its bottom the cans discharged from the shell by the discharge cylinder, and it also serves as a water container for a part of the water seal, later described, and this chamber 72 also usually contains one end of a conveyer 73 serving to remove the cans from it. The discharge cylinder is provided with a feed cam 41 identical with that of the upper cylinder and other parts similarly designatechsimilarly constructed, and operating in a similar manner. The discharge cylinder has a shaft 74 carrying a gear 75 by which the shaft and the cylinder are driven and gear 15 is driven from gear 60' of the lower conveyer unit by means of an intermediate idler'gear7 6. Thus the discharge cylinder and its related parts are driven in proper relation to the remainder of the apparatus.

Water seals are provided in connection with the cylinders to effectually prevent escape of steam from: the shell 1, and at the same time act as a lubricant for the cylinders as they revolve in their housings. The cylinders are made with a reasonablyclose run ning fit, but there is some running clearance, and the water of the water seals takes up this clearance and atthe low speed at which the cylinders revolve acts as an effective lubricant as well as a steam seal. 7 Adjacent to the feed or intake cylinder 25 water is maintained in the outer chamber 24 up to the level ofline a and in the inner chamber 17 and the communicating passage in spacer 1O up to the level of the line Z) which is the level at which water will flow over 77 into the shell 1. The level ais determined by the overflow pipe 78 communis catingwith chamber 24. Adjacent to the discharge cylinder water is maintained in the bottom of the inner chamber 62 up to the level of the line a which is the level at which water will overflow into the shell at the point 79. Water is maintained in the outer chamber 72 about to the level of theline (Z and this water is supplied by the overflow pipe 78 which communicates with the chamber at 80. A pipe 81 leads from the bottom of the shell at 82 and water discharged by this pump goes through the pipe 84 to the bottom of chamber 17 adjacent to the feed cylinder. The level of water in the shell 'is regulated by a pipe (not shown) which communicates with the shell at the rear end, somewhat above the bottom, so that some water will always he maintained at the bottom of the shell to supply pipe84.

As each row, of cans is delivered into the chamber 17 by cylinder 25, water from the chamber fills the empty cylinder'pocket and thusa pocket full of water is taken from the chamber 17 and delivered to the outer chamber 24 at each half revolution of the cylinder. As each row of cans ispushed into a cylinder pocket by the'positive feed device, the remaining space is filled with water from the chamber 24 and thus a certain amount of water is returned to chamber 17 along with the cans at each half revolution of the cylinder, leaving an excess of water representing the volume of the cans, which is pumped outwardly by the cylinder at each half revothe chamber 72 into the inner chamber 62 and the excess flows over the ledge 79 into the shell. There is thus substantially no diiierence in the volume of water handled'by the charging and discharging cylinders. Since each of the cylinders is completely submerged in water at both sides, there is no chance for either air or steam to get into the cylinder pockets. The loss of steam is thus practically zero, and the heat eliiciency of the apparatus is very high. I

In one embodiment of the machineis designed to run at such speed that 100 cans are fed into and discharged from the shell per minute. A desirable cooking period for food such as peas, which require thorough cooking under pressure to resist the internal pressure developed in the cans, is 18 minutes, and with the rate of feed above mentioned therefore, the area of the conveyor system is designed to accommodate 1800 cans, and the speed of each of the cylinders will be live revolutions per minute.

It will be understood that While the feed and discharge devices and the water seal arrangement may in some cases be valuable independently of each other, they cooperate very advantageously since the positive can handling devices easily overcome any disturbances of normal movement of the cans, which might be caused by the necessity of moving them through a body of water at each side of each cylinder. Either the feed or the discharge cylinder with its associated parts has novel features of utility in other adaptations for handling cans or similar articles, and especially when the articles are to be handled in connection with the water seal such as described,

I claim-- F a 1. In a charging device, the combination of a pocketed can-cylinder, a housing, and a water seal at each side of the cylinder, and means for moving cans into the cylinder pockets.

2. In a charging device, the combination of a pocketed can-cylinder, a housing therefor and a water seal at each side of the cylinder, means for moving cans into the cylinder pockets, and means for discharging cans from the cylinder pockets.

8. In a charging device, the combination with the housing, of a pocketed cylinder for feeding cans. and a water seal at each side of the cylinder, and positive means'for ejecting cans from the cylinder pockets.

4L. In a charging device, the combination with the housing, of a rotary pocketed cancylinder, a water seal at one side of the cylinder, and positive means for moving cans through the water seal into the cylinder pocket.

5. The combination with the housing, of a rotary pocketed can-cylinder having a water seal at each side thereof, positive means for movlng cans through the water seal into the cylinderpocket, and positive means for discharging cans from'the cylinder pocket through the water seal.

6. The combination with the housing, of a rotary pocketed can-cylinder, a check spring to temporarily retain cans out of contact with the cylinder, positive means for forcing cans past the check spring into the cylinder pocket, and said housing containing a water seal at the side of the cylinder adjacent the check spring and positive feed device.

7. In a charging device the combination with a housing of a rotary pocketed canhandling cylinder and water supply passage to the housing providing a Water seal submerging the cylinder pockets, and another passage away from the other side of the cylinder providing a seal su'bmerging the cylinder pockets. I

8. In a charging device, the combination with a housin of a rotary, pocketed, canb? handling cylinder and water supply passage to the housing providing a water seal submerging the cylinder pockets, another passage leading away i'rom the opposite side of the cylinder providing a water seal submerglng the cylinder pockets, and positive means for. feeding cans through the water sealinto the cylinder pockets at one side of the cylinder. i i

9. The combination with the housing of a rotary pocketed canhandling cylinder and water supply passage to the'housing pro viding a water seal submerging the cylinder pockets, a passage leading away from the other side of the cylinder providing a seal submerging the cylinder pockets, and means for positively ejecting cans from the cylin der pockets into the water seal at one side of the cylinder.

' 10. The combination with the housing, of a rotary pocketed cylinder and water supply passage to the housing providing a seal submerging the cylinder pockets, a passage leading away from the other side of the cylinder providing a seal submerging the cylinder pockets, means for positively moving cans through the water seal into the cylinder pockets at one side of the cylinder, and positive means for ejecting the cans from the cylinder pockets into the water sea]. at the other side of the cylinder.

11. The combination with the housing .forming an elbowed passage and a water seal therein, of a pocketed can-cylinder rotatably mounted in one branch of said passage and above the bottom of the passage.

12. The combination with the housing forming an elbowed passage and a water seal therein, of a pocketed can-cylinder rotatably mounted in one branch of said passage and above the bottom of the passage, and means located in the branch of the passage above the cylinder for positively feeding cans into the pockets.

13. The combination with the housing forming an elhowed passage and a Water seal. therein of a pocketed can-cylinder rotatably mounted in one branch of said passage and above the bottom of the passage, means located in the branch of the passage above the cylinder for positively feeding cans into the pockets, and means for positively ejecting cans from the cylinder pockets into the branch of the passage below the cylinder.

1%. The combination With the housing forming a supply and discharge passage and a Water seal in each passage, a rotary pocketed can-cylinder in one passage beneath the water seal, and positive means for feeding cans to and from the cylinder pockets.

JAMES A. ANDERSON. 

